


The Popular Kid

by bluebellsandcocklesshells



Category: Supernatural
Genre: First Kiss, High School AU, M/M, Suggestive Dialogue, non G rated language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-04
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-06-06 08:59:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6747535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluebellsandcocklesshells/pseuds/bluebellsandcocklesshells





	The Popular Kid

Castiel walked through the cafeteria, letting the oscillating din of voices turn to white noise, blocking out distractions.  He went to his usual table in the back corner and sat by himself at one end.  At the other were two boys who also had no one else to sit with, so they sat with each other once they had found Castiel to be poor company.  He didn’t mean to be poor company; he just found it difficult to concentrate on other people when he was thinking.

Currently he was thinking about how the light from the skylight hit the window into the kitchen just right around noontime, refracting brilliantly and scattering rainbows around the frame.  It was easy to imagine it as a portal to another world.  A world where magic was real.  Where people rode their own dragons.  Where everyone appreciated adventure and knew how to use cool weapons but rarely actually hurt anyone with them.

It was overcast today, so the rainbows were missing, but the window was still there.  Ms. Potter moved briefly into view as she lugged around a big tray full of instant mashed potatoes.  On days like these, he imagined the woman was experimenting with magical concoctions.  Exotic fruits and spices blended together with soft grains and tender meat—the kind of thing a fairy or something would make.  For all Castiel knew, that was what school issued food tasted like.  He always brought a bagged lunch.  Though based on the way the kid at the end of his table was making a face as he prodded an unidentifiable lump of grey and red matter on his tray, Castiel doubted it.

He’d been at this school for two years, and he’d sat near to this kid and the other one for most of his junior year, but he didn’t know their names.  He knew the names of his teachers—except his study hall teacher—it wasn’t written on his schedule and he never needed to ask her a question, so he never bothered to learn it.  He knew the name of the guy in his art class who was always hogging the modeling clay, which forced Cas to use the pastels.  His name was Benny and he was just using the clay to sneakily make a bong by designing it to look like a Chinese dragon.  The joke would be on him though when he realized how hard it was to smoke out of a clay bong.  He knew Meg’s name because she deliberately called him by the wrong name, which annoyed him.  He knew Gabriel’s name because he was always getting yelled at by teachers.  “Gabriel!  Stop talking!  Gabriel!  Stop passing notes!  Gabriel!  Go to the principal’s office!”  It was hard to forget that one.

Castiel should know more people’s names, and if he was looking at a classmate, he could probably dredge it up from somewhere.  Maybe.  But nobody talked to him, and he didn’t initiate conversation.  That’s what his mother had suggested: just go up to someone and start a conversation; that’s how people make friends.  Castiel wasn’t sure that was how people made friends.

A break in the clouds made a smudge of rainbows around the kitchen window.  There was a half-giant named Rugar in that world.  And an Elven warrior named Feelli’inna’a.  There was the mercenary Dormas and the human wizard Yzireem who may or may not look like that actor on that terrible doctor drama his sister liked to watch.  Yzireem had a horse named Pulu, and once during a dream Yzireem had offered Castiel a ride.  When he’d awoken with a hard on, Castiel had wondered if Yzireem hadn’t been talking about his horse.

The clouds returned and Castiel sighed as thoughts of Yzireem, Pulu, and all the others in the land of Rainbowindow faded away.  He looked down at his ham and cheese sandwich on wheat bread.  He wondered that if he had more exciting lunches if he would be able to offer it in a trade for the mysterious cafeteria food.  Ms. Potter seemed to work on it very hard; he wanted to try it.  He glanced at the boys at the end of his table.  The one kid hadn’t even tried a bite of the grey and red matter.  He’d probably trade it for Castiel’s sandwich.  Castiel opened his mouth, prepared to make contact…

“Hey, Cas.”

Castiel startled as someone practically fell onto the stool across from him.  Since the seat was attached to the table, it jarred the whole contraption and disturbed the lunches and boys at the other end.  They turned to look at who had nearly caused their drinks to spill, annoyance and snarkiness at the ready, but something about the visitor made them close their mouths and focus very intently on their lunches.  Castiel looked back at the boy across from him.

Caucasian, short light-colored hair, red plaid button down open over a blue T-shirt.  The other two boys seemed to recognize him, and the visitor seemed to know Cas as he had called him by name, but Castiel didn’t know who he was.

“Um.  Hi.”  Castiel carefully picked up the chip that had fallen out of the snack sized plastic baggie sitting next to his sandwich.  He set it aside.  He wouldn’t eat it now.

“So…I can’t help but notice that you stare at me.  Every day.  So, I thought I’d come over and find out if it’s because you want a fight or you’re in love with me.”

He grinned and Castiel could tell it was meant to be condescending and cruel, not friendly and bantering.  This boy was not trying to make a friend.  Castiel fidgeted his fingers, not sure how to respond.  He’d never thought about fighting or fucking this guy before.  He’d never had a thought about him period.  So, how did he respond?

“Neither?” he replied, trying not to sound challenging.

“Come on, dude.  Every day for the entire fucking school year you come in here and sit at this spot at this table and spend the entire thirty-fucking-five minutes staring at me.  People only do that if they want to murder someone or sex ‘em up.  And I need to know which.  I mean, I’m gonna kick your ass either way, but I’d like to know _why_ I’m kicking your ass.”

Castiel sat up in alarm.  This had taken an unpleasant turn.  He had no delusions that this had been a chance to develop a friendship, even if only to please his mother, but getting his ass kicked sounded unfair and uncalled for.

“I don’t understand why you’re upset with me,” Castiel said.  “I’ve never looked at you.  I don’t even know who you are.  Are you new?  A freshman?”

The boys at the other end of the table did their best to repress bursts of quiet giggles, but the air still escaped.  Castiel glanced at them, confused by their reaction, but his attention was immediately called back to the kid across from him when he shouted, “Are you fucking joking?!”

“No, I’m sorry.  Do we have a class together?  I—I can’t think of your name.  What’s your name?”

The boys laughed harder and the angry guy glared at them.  They shut up immediately.  He turned back to Castiel, confusion and anger warring on his features.  Then he forced a laugh.

“Oh, I get it.  You’re making a joke.  Good one, Cas.  Funny.  Guess that means you stare at me because you want a fight.  So, we’ll—”

“I’m sorry,” Castiel cut him off, upset that he was running out of time to eat his sandwich.  “I still don’t understand why you think I’ve expressed any interest in you at all.  I don’t know who you are; I’ve never seen you before so I certainly have never stared at you before.  Why are you threatening me when I have literally never interacted with you in my entire life?”

The kid’s jaw was hanging slightly ajar.  “You—you really don’t know who I am?”

Castiel gave a small shrug.  “Should I?”

“He’s only the most popular kid in school,” one of the boys at the other end of the table said.  “Every girl loves him, every guy wants to be his friend, the teachers adore him, he plays on the football, baseball, _and_ soccer teams.  He’s won state championships in all three.  He throws the best parties, he tells the funniest jokes, he has the wildest stories.”  He paused and looked at the object of his exposition.  “And he treats everyone he doesn’t think is cool enough for him like a piece of shit.”

The kid sat back, looking genuinely stunned by the accusation.  Castiel frowned at him.

“It seems like you’ve made some great achievements,” Castiel said, “but if you’re really that big of a dick, I’d prefer not to associate with you.”

The kid’s eyes—they were green Castiel noted—widened in shock.  He also looked a little chastened.

“I’m trying to eat my lunch.  And I have never stared at you.  I have no designs to fight or—” Castiel paused and took a brief moment to look him over, “fuck you.”  _Probably_.  “So, if you could return to your own table that would probably be best for everyone.”

The kid sat there for a moment, looking embarrassed and angry.  Finally he stood up and walked away.  He didn’t return to his table, but walked out of the cafeteria.  Castiel realized he still didn’t know the kid’s name.  It didn’t matter; he’d never seen him before today so he probably never would see him after.

~~~

“Dean.”

“What?”

Castiel looked up as the kid from yesterday sat down heavily at the lunch table, once again jarring everyone’s lunches.  He had a sack lunch with a dark corner where something had leaked.  He opened the bag and pulled out a squished up sandwich.

“My name is Dean.”

Castiel tried to discreetly glance down the table at the other two boys.  They shrugged, clearly confused as well.

“I’m Castiel.”

“I know that.  See?  I know your name.  We don’t run in the same circles and have no classes together, but I still know your name.”

“Ah, I see.  You’re upset I didn’t know who you were yesterday.  If it makes you feel any better, I don’t really know anyone here.  I’ve sat at this table with these two guys all year now and I still don’t know their names.”

“Ed,” one said.

“Harry,” said the other.

“Castiel,” he replied, just to be polite.

“Yeah, we know,” Harry said.

Castiel frowned.  It wasn’t _his_ fault everyone knew who he was.  He didn’t even know _why_ everyone knew who he was.  He didn’t talk to anybody.  Except Meg in chemistry class.  And that was only because being silent made her more annoying.  If he gave her a one word response every now and then, it kept her mostly quiet.

“So, Cas.  You’ve been at this school for two years now and you don’t even recognize the name Dean Winchester?”

Castiel’s brain zoomed away from the question at hand.  How did Dean know he’d only been here two years?  It was a big, 9-12 school.  Why wouldn’t he assume he’d been here since freshman year?  Then something about Winchester clicked.

“You started the recycling program here.”

Dean gave him a peeved look.  “That was _Sam_ Winchester.  My little brother.”

“Oh.  Well, he did a good job.  I signed the petition, though nothing I bring from home is recyclable since I reuse my bag.”

Dean’s brows drew together.  “You’re a little fucking weird, you know that?”

“And you’re a little fucking rude,” Castiel shot back.  “Are you even remotely aware of that?”

Harry and Ed sniggered at their end of the table and Dean’s hands clenched into fists next to his sack lunch.

“I was just…” Dean started.  “You know what?  Fuck you.”  Dean stood up, stuffed his sandwich back in the bag and left.

Castiel watched him weave through the tables until he took a seat at a table with a large group of people who immediately leaned close to talk to him.  No doubt asking him about what the weirdo in the corner had said to piss him off.  It was then that he noticed that Dean’s head was directly below the kitchen window.

High school students were creatures of habit—everyone sat in the same seat every day.  No wonder Dean had thought Castel had been staring at him all year.  He hadn’t realized Cas’ eye line had been just slightly above his head.  Castiel wondered how he’d never noticed Dean’s face before since he did look in that direction so much.  It was a pretty face, one worth taking note of.  But…he’d never seen anything but the rainbow window.

~~~

The table shook as the heavy weight landed on the seat across from him.  Harry—or Ed—griped as his soda sloshed up onto his face as he was trying to take a sip.  Castiel realized Dean must be very tall.  He carried a lot of weight, but he was thin.  So, he had to be tall.  He looked up to find the kid scowling at him.

“Do you remember my name?” he asked grouchily.

“Yes.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Dean.  Winchester.  Older brother of Sam Winchester, the great recycling champion.”

Dean’s lips twitched out of their frown, but he didn’t exactly smile.  He looked at Cas for a moment, so Cas looked back.  Then Dean opened his sack lunch and pulled out a tinfoil wrapped cylinder.  It revealed a hotdog in a bun covered in mustard and catsup.  Castiel tried not to make a face as Dean chomped into it.  He liked hotdogs, but there was no way that was still warm if it had been sitting in his locker all morning.

Castiel watched him eat for a minute, impressed by his ability to puncture and drink from a Capri Sun juice pouch without the use of the plastic straw.  Castiel began to eat his own sandwich: ham and cheese on wheat bread.  Dean’s curious presence didn’t change the fact that he needed to eat.  Then Dean reached across the table and took one of his chips from his plastic baggie.  Cas stared as two chips fell out onto the table.  He looked up and watched Dean pop the chip into his mouth.  His faced screwed up.

“Whoa.  The fuck is that?  It’s sour.”

“It’s salt and vinegar flavor.”

“You like those?”

“Yes.”

Castiel picked up the two chips on the table and set them aside.  Now he only had fourteen chips left.  His mother only gave him one serving with lunch.  One serving was seventeen chips.  Three were gone because of Dean Winchester.  He looked back up at the kid.

“Whoa,” Dean said.  “What’s with the expression?”

“Those are—never mind.  Why are you sitting with me?  I’m not completely isolated from how high school works.  If your assumption was that I was staring at you because I either hated you or loved you, then you joining me for lunch day after day would be an indication that it is love and you return the feelings.”

Dean just grinned and then put his lips to the juice pouch to suck out more drink.  Then he set it down and took one of the chips Castiel had set aside.  He popped it into his mouth and his face screwed up again at the sharp flavor.

“God.  Is it an acquired taste?”  He cleared his throat.  “It’s one of the benefits of being popular.  Everyone assumes they know everything about me, so they think I sit here to torment you for being a fucking weirdo.”

“And this would keep you popular?  Being a bully?”

Dean shrugged.  “Humans are attracted to power.”

“Is that why you’re attracted to me?”

Harry choked on a Cheeto and Ed spat out his soda.  Dean just rolled his eyes.

“Um, no,” Dean said, a sneer creeping into his words.  “What fucking power do you have?  No one pays any attention to you.  No one talks to you.  No one notices you.  You can’t get anyone to do anything.”

“That’s not true.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Well, from the way I see it, I’m powerful and attractive enough to get the most popular guy in school to neglect his friends during lunch every day so that he can sit and flirt with me.”

Ed and Harry burst out laughing loud enough for the girls at the next table to turn around and look to see what was going on.  Their eyes went wide when they spotted Dean, and they went even wider when he stood up suddenly, shaking the table.

“Fuck you.”

“I never imagined you’d want it the other way,” Castiel demurred, trying to imitate his older brother’s tone when he talked to his girlfriend on the phone late at night when they were supposed to be asleep in bed.

To Castiel’s surprise, Dean’s face turned red, right up to the tips of his ears.  He sputtered for a moment, and then turned around to stomp out of the cafeteria.  Castiel picked up the chip left on the table and held it up.

“This one was yours,” he said, too soft for him or anyone else to hear.

“Dude!  That was awesome!”

“I can’t believe the set of balls on you, man.”

Castiel was alarmed to find himself suddenly sitting next to Harry and Ed.  They’d moved their lunches down and were now eating next to him, discussing how he had schooled Dean Winchester.  Castiel supposed he had.  From that day forward, Ed and Harry sat next to him at lunch.  After two weeks when his mother asked, again, if he’d made any friends, he gave her their names.  But they were really more of acquaintances.  Dean didn’t come back.  Not for those two weeks.

~~~

Dean came back the third week.  He sat on the stool opposite of Castiel and Harry and Ed automatically shuffled down to the end of the table.

“You’re staring again, Novak.”

Castiel cocked his head as he tried to understand what Dean was talking about.  His scowl turned into exasperated disbelief.

“Don’t tell me you forgot who I am!”

“Of course not, Dean.  I wouldn’t forget my boyfriend.”

Ed and Harry lost it at the far end and the girls at the next table over suddenly began whispering loudly.  Dean stood up, not even having a chance to open his lunch.  He turned on the girls.

“Shut up!  He’s not my boyfriend!”

The girls went quiet, but as he walked away, they began tittering again.  Castiel finished his lunch alone as Ed and Harry didn’t seem inclined to slide back and Dean had returned to his table.  His head was under the rainbow window, some of the scattered colors highlighting his hair.  Oh, that must be what Dean had been talking about.  He’d been watching the window, his eyes drawn lower than usual as he he’d noticed the dancing lights in Dean’s hair without realizing what the lights were dancing on.  If Dean came back, he’d explain the window.

~~~

Dean came back the next day.

“Do you realize what you’ve done?” Dean hissed as he dropped his bag lunch down and Harry and Ed held their drinks and trays steady in anticipation of Dean’s disruptive landing.

Meg had been pissy with him during chemistry.  He knew why Dean was mad too.

“Apparently the rumors are flying that we are, in fact, dating," Cas said nonchalantly.  "My chemistry lab partner is not happy about it.  I guess that means she either has a crush on me or you.  Or maybe she just dislikes you and is disappointed that I would be with someone like you.”

“She has a crush on you, genius,” Ed said.

“Like, come on, dude,” Harry added.

Cas shrugged and pointed his chocolate pudding covered spoon at them.  “I guess she has a crush on me and is upset we’re dating.”

“We’re not dating!” Dean shouted, but did his best to lower his voice.

“Oh.  Then why are you always over here with me at lunch?”

“Because…Because you’re like some fucked up science experiment.  Like, NASA planted you here to see if they’ve managed to accomplish the singularity.”

Cas smiled at Dean.  “You like Sci-Fi?”

“W-what?  Um.  No.  I mean, I like _Star Trek_.”

“Ugh,” Harry moaned.

“Fucking Trekkie,” Ed said with a shake of his head.

“Hey, hey!” Dean said, pointing a finger at them.  “Two words: Jar-Jar Binks.”

They grumbled and returned to their lunches.  Dean focused back on Cas.

“Look, dude, I know you’ve got the hots for me, but you can’t spread rumors like that.  Or I’ll pound your face in.”

“So pound my face in,” Cas said blithely.

Dean looked shocked, and then confused.  He seemed at a loss of how to respond.

“If you’re not going to pound my face in, can you open this for me?”

Castiel handed Dean a small jar with homemade hummus in it.  It didn’t really go well with pudding, but his mother was cleaning out the pantry.  Dean, looking slightly disoriented, took the jar and easily popped the lid off.  Cas smiled at him as he took it back.

“So strong.  It’s such a turn on, baby.”

The girls at the next table over burst into giggles.  Dean turned pink.  Then he leaned forward and spoke lowly and menacingly.

“I will beat you to a bloody pulp.”

Castiel leaned in close too, lowering his voice.  “Then do it.”

Dean stared at him, his green eyes jumping back and forth rapidly.  Castiel sat up straight.

“Just don’t be a tease about it,” Castiel said louder.  “You know you can do whatever you like with me.”

The girls sighed and giggled and a couple even hummed in aroused excitement.  Dean actually ran from the cafeteria.

~~~

There was only one week of school left when Dean sat down at his table again, two weeks after the last time.  Ed and Harry didn’t slide away despite his glowering look.  Castiel ate his first chip out of the bag.  He’d been wondering if Dean or one of his friends would jump him at some point and carry through with the threat to beat him up.  Nothing had happened.  Though according to the rumors Meg kept grumbling about, he and Dean were going steady and had had sex on home plate after Dean and the Lawrence High Tigers had won regionals the week before.

“Hello, Dean.”

“Still remember my name them.”

“After our magical night together?  How could I forget?”

“Why home plate?” Dean asked with annoyance as he plopped his sandwich onto the table.  “Why not the dugout?  Or the outfield where there’s at least grass.  People in this school are so stupid.”

“Hm.  Bored, I’d say.”

“Whatever,” Dean grumbled.

“Have you become an outcast?”

“What?”

“Have your peers rejected you because of rumors that you’re dating the school weirdo?”

“No.  I’m fine.  Went to prom with Lisa.”

“Ah.  Then no one actually believes the rumors, otherwise I feel like some people would be upset that you were cheating on me.”

“Of course no one believed it.”  Dean put his sandwich down and talked around the bite he had just taken.  “Cas, dude, everyone still thinks you’re a giant freak with a weird obsessive fixation on me.”  He swallowed.  “That’s why you tried to start those rumors.”

“Ah.  That must also be why I go to your table to sit with you at lunch…oh, wait.”

Harry and Ed snickered.  Dean glared at them and they scooted down to the far end of the table.

“Look, buddy, I’m just trying to help you out here,” Dean said.  “You can be weird in college and people are more accepting of it, but you gotta be a _little_ more...normal.”

“Why?  For God’s sake, _why_?” Castiel demanded harshly.

Dean stared, and didn’t have an answer.  He looked down at his sandwich.

“Besides.  I have a whole year before I have to worry about college,” Castiel muttered, peeling the crust off his ham and cheese on wheat bread sandwich.

“You’re a junior?” Dean asked, looking up.  “I thought you were in my grade.”

Castiel shook his head.  “Does that make you feel better?  We’re in different grades so it makes a little more sense that I wouldn’t have any idea who you are?  A nice soothing balm for your bruised ego?”

“Geez.  Grumpy.”

Castiel took his hands off the bread; he didn’t want to make a mess.  Dean leaned forward.

“Seriously, why are you always staring at me then?  Don’t say that you don’t.  You really do.”

Castiel looked up, exhausted from his exchange with Dean.  He considered telling him to fuck off, but maybe if he explained the initial confusion, it would help Dean get over it and move on.

“Come sit next to me.”

“What?”

“Get up, walk around the table, and sit next to me.  I’ll show you what I’m staring at.”

Dean made faces like it was a struggle to obey, but walked around the table and plopped down on the stool next to him.  Fortunately it was a bright sunny day and the rainbows were vibrant.  He pointed to the window.

“See?  I’m looking at that.”

“Yeah, me.  My seat is perfectly in line.”

“No, the kitchen window.  See the frame?  The rainbows from the skylight.”

“Dude…the only ‘rainbow’ in this room is sitting next to me.”

Castiel grabbed Dean’s jaw with a hand and guided him so that he was closer to the height and angle Castiel was sitting at.  Dean’s resistance dissipated.

“Oh.  Those rainbows.  They’re kind of pretty.”

Castiel turned his head.  “That’s why I’ve…”

He trailed off as he found himself nose to nose with Dean.  His eyes fell on Dean’s lips.  He had really pretty lips.  Dean tilted his head and leaned forward, pressing their lips together.  Then he pulled back.  Castiel remained motionless, stunned by his first kiss.  Dean leapt to his feet and hurried out of the cafeteria.  It wouldn’t matter if most people hadn’t seen it.  It wouldn’t matter if people would be more inclined to take Dean’s word over the girls’ at the next table over.  One of those girls had taken a picture.  By the end of seventh period, it was on everyone’s phone.

~~~

Castiel opened the door to his home, pausing to take off his shoes and drop his book bag by the stairs.  His mother walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands off on a towel.

“Hello, darling.  How was the last day of school?”

“Good.  I don’t have my final grades yet, but most of my teachers handed back our final exams and I got A’s on all of them.”

“That’s terrific!”  Castiel’s mother took his face in her hands and kissed the top of his head.  Or tried to.  She wasn’t tall enough anymore.  Then she noticed Dean standing awkwardly on the stoop.

“Oh.  You’ve brought a…friend?”

“This is Dean.”  Castiel turned to smile at him.  “He’s my boyfriend.”  Dean blushed and Castiel turned back to his mother’s shocked face.  “He’s going to be going to KU in the fall, so he’ll still be nearby.”

Dean shuffled inside and murmured, “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Novak.”

“You too…Dean.  Um.  Shoes.”

Dean hurriedly used his toes on the heel to pull off his shoes.

“We were going to look through Dad’s vinyl collection in his office.  Is that okay?” Castiel asked.

“Of course.  Just, be careful with them.”

“We will.  This way, Dean.”

Mrs. Novak watched her son and his—boyfriend?—walk down the hall to her husband’s office.  She decided to make them some snacks and walked back to the kitchen, shaking her head.

“Never made a friend for twelve years, and now he’s dating the most popular kid at school.  I don’t know if I’m concerned or proud.”


End file.
